Recruitment Drive. Part One.
'Tyrants Issue 35. "Recruitment Drive, Part One." ' Front cover- Kaan'Qsst stands up on a building, looks over the wrecked Titan City with his back to the reader. With him, backs also to the reader are Yu, Icarus, Dark Magician and Null, along with Fraud (now dressed in a red suit, unlike the last time he was seen.) There are also in the air, floating above the city, are various different superhumans in the black costumes of the city militia, their costumes military styled, though with no markings, as the shoulder swashtikas have been torn off. They wear black helmets and gas masks that obscure their faces, making them look rather intimidating. Some of the militia fly by invisible means, others with energy jetting from feet, hands, or entire bodies, others wings of various kinds. There can also be seen other militia on building rooftops, and some clinging to their sides. The issue opens showing Null stood off slightly to the side, looking behind the group, as Kaan'Qsst and Yu shake hands. With Dark Magician still on the floor with a spike in his eye, not clear whether he is dead or not, Icarus stands in the foreground, looking up, eyes flaring white. "We should move... I sense Fire building around us... not here, but from elsewhere." "I sense it too. Energy being moved from one location to this one. I'd reason a teleportation effect... no." Icarus looks up. "''Multiple ''teleports", Icarus finishes. The comic cuts to a double page spread, as the Tyrants are shown with their backs to the reader, as they look out at the militia surrounding them, most displaying some kind of super power, as many float or fly in the air around them, though many stood on the ground look less obviously powered. Some have weaponry, mainly assault rifles and shotguns, but not all. They appear out of multiple portals of energy of various colours. Among the ground troops are also men in black Citizen Titan costumes, and flying in the air, men in black Battling Briton costumes, and men shrouded entirely in energy of various kinds, that bear a similarity to both the Negative Man and the now dead Titan, Flux. "Of course... the militia", Null remarks. "You knew they were coming?" Kaan'Qsst lets go of Yu's hand and snarls angrily. "Not precisely. Blitzkrieg sent me in to deal with you, as he believed my powers would counter the majority of yours. The Elite he dispatched with me, some of those enhanced by the supersoldier processes in the Core laboratories left by Prometheus that Blitzkrieg had me put back into action, were useless against the Titans, and he didn't want to waste more against you, so he sent me alone." "But these are not all Elites", says Yu, standing in a defensive kung-fu pose. "He kept the rest of the militia, those with more random mutations, given to unpowered humans courtesy of Surge, back entirely against us both this group and the Titans. he was conserving resources." Kaan'Qsst steps forward. "Soldiers! You are now free of Blitzkrieg's control. Who commands you!" Fraud, the brother of Le Qui, clad in a red suit and tie, steps out of one of the closing purples, pulled closed as if a curtain, by the militiamn who steps out of it behind him. "Fortunately for you, Kaan'Qsst, I do." He has a megaphone dangling limply in one hand. "I suppose Blitzkrieg placed me among these fellows as double insurance. Unfortunately for him, should he still be around..." The reader shows him, with the Tyrants behind him, looking at his circle of perhaps hundreds of super powered men. "That means his little army is mine." Null whispers to Kaan'Qsst. "Well, there's a superpowered army, it just isn't yours." "Yet", Kaan'Qsst snarls back, and takes a step towards Fraud."And what, do you care to do with your 'little army?'" Fraud shrugs. "Well normally I suppose I'd get them to help me rob a load of riches, but seeing as we're stuck in the Purple right now... well I suppose I could take everything I want and make myself the little king of this place, butttttt... well, we're gonna run out of food soon enough, and so I'd like to leave this purple hell. And I knew about your little villain gathering from Blitzkrieg's little updates until his network went down. After that, had to take some time..." He taps his mega phone. "Gathering the troops." "Using some volume enhancement to help you enthrall the troops. Clever, Fraud", says Yu. "You control them with your voice", Kaan'Qsst says. "Oh, haven't you heard of me? Shame, I'd heard of you, before Blitzkrieg's intel that is. Thats what I came, I thought 'if Conquest's got his own group going, there must be a score.'" In the background, the ever growing neon reactor cores in the sky, from the events of Team Titan Think Tank can be seen. "Sorry to interrupt this little halloo, but what the crap is going on in the sky over there?" Everyone can't help but look. "I am can't see the objects from here, as I am sure is the case for most of us, however, I can make out massive amount of radiation leaking from both objects, so one would assume that someone, possibly Team Titan, has somehow ejected some breached radioactive devices in the air", Null says. "So, we are all dead", Kaan'Qsst says. "Its energy. Not ''all ''of us are dead" says Icarus, folding his arms. "I believe a Titan is stealing with the matter. The radiation levels are rapidly diminishing with every second. Due to the distance above the city is currently seems to be, by the time the radiation is completely eradicated, I don't think it will have reached a harmful range. Only the falling objects themselves will be a problem for the city directly below." Kaan'Qsst turns back to Fraud. "So not a problem for us." "Hey, I'm not a problem for you either!" Fraud raises his hands. "You have a small army, you could fight us, or subdue us, force surrender, why do you wish to work with us?" Icarus hisses. "And why do you give him ideas?" Yu gives Fraud a snide look. "Look look, I am not the conquering type..." Fraud tries to say. "You have conquered the minds of these men", Kaan'Qsst says. "Because the militia are what remains of the army and the police after the Tyrants blasted Titan City,and the Elite, Blitzkrieg chose a bunch of harderned criminals... and so, without nanite control, I figured some of them might kill me." "After being controlled by Blitzkrieg, and finally being released" says Null, walking over to Fraud and Kaan'Qsst, "you thought ''you ''would be their prime concern?" Fraud raises his hands higher. "Okay, okay, you got me. I ceased an oppurtunity. Not every day a guy with such a mesmering voice gets an army dropped off his feet. And I figured you could use an army." "I am looking for just that", says Kaan'Qsst. "And I accept this offer, if you wish to join us. However, we are a little obvious here in the open..." "The militia base is the former army base, further into the mountain, partially concealed by some of the larger hills and mountains you didn't drop, from the city, and by the woodland and lake it sits next to, from above." Fraud claps his hands, grinning ever wide. "All right peons, lets move out." All of the Tyrants disappear in a multitude of flashes. The comic cuts to inside a white tent, where Fraud sits behind a desk, with his feet on the desk, drinking out of a hip flask. The comic then shows Tyrants on the other side of the desk; Kaan'Qsst stands, hands on the desk, Icarus leans against the tent wall behind everyone else, whilst Yu and Null sit in chairs. The still inert Dark Magician is currently propped up against the tent wall. "Icarus, would you heal the Magician. I need him for this discussion." "Do we even ''need ''the pompous moron?" Icarus blurts. "Caution is wise with him. However, unpredictability will be a useful tool if the Titans come snooping. And one assumes they will, they need their city stable before they return it, and I assume they will not stand for 'villains' running free. In that eventuality, I require his firepower, and his variable powerset." Kaan'Qsst does not look at Icarus as he talks. He looks as if he is losing his patience. "You have ''my ''firepower and variable powerset!" Kaan'Qsst and turns "And if one of you falls, I have the other." "I will ''not ''fall!" Icarus storms out, leaving the Dark Magician's body where it is. Fraud raises an eyebrow. "Tetchy, isn't he?" "I was initially, short on allies", says Kaan'Qsst. "Clearly. You want him healed, I can call in a healer. As a show of good will", Fraud adds. "Good, when the Dark Magician is conscious... if he is even alive, or whatever constitutes for that in his case... we will begin wider discussions of the plan to come." "Don't need Mister Yells a Lot for the planning, then?" Fraud says, laughing. "I do believe that Icarus will do what Icarus chooses to do..." he looks to Dark Magician. "As may be the case to him. But, he will at least be capable of ''listening ''to a plan, and if we can convince him there is enough chaos involved, he will at least adhere to the spirit of the plan." "Whatever you say, boss man. You're the General, I'm just your army recruiter!" Fraud points at a soldier. "You, Norman, Nigel... what is your name?" "Roger." "Oh... thats not remotely close to either of my options. You're Norman from now on." "Sir, yes sir." "Norman, fetch me someone with healing powers will you. Oh and somebody with some kinda power for taking out that big spike in that chap's eye without eviscerating his face would be good. Get me the disintegraty guy." "Fergus, sir?" "If he can disintegrate things, yes!" The soldier heads off. All the Tyrants are looking at Fraud. "Look, when you can tell people to do what you want, you don't usually bother with names!" "You knew of me." "Well, you're the only guy in world who calls himself Conquest, I am pretty sure." "Kaan'Qsst." Kaan'Qsst folds his arms. "Thats why I said, isn't it?" "I am an alien, why would I name myself an Earth word." Null looks to him. "Admittedly, Conquest does sound rather like your chosen monikor. And you do wish to gather an army to destroy the Kraan." "That is destroying, not conquering." 'Norman' returns with two other soldiers. "That was quick, Nigel", says Fraud. Null takes off his mask, and puts a hand to his face. "I brought them with super speed, sir. And you named me Norman." "Yes, yes, of course I did. Whichever of you is disintegraty man, disintegrate that bone spike. Healy man.. well if you don't know what to do, then you really need a new super power." One soldier grabs the bone spike, and turns it to dust. The other takes of their mask, and shoots a beam of white energy from their mouth, which encompasses Dark Magician, healing him. Dark Magician leaps to his feet, hands flaring black. "All right you dinosaur scum, now your going to see some c- oh. Oh, you didn't kill all the dinosaurs without me, did you?" "It was not neccesary to kill them all. Blitzkrieg's control is ended", Kaan'Qsst says. "Oh good, so readying the army already I see? Oooooh, you even got yourself a TENT! Very official." "Sit down, if you wish. We are about to discuss our next move." Dark Magician flies over to Fraud. "Fraud. Big fan. The way you can convince people they've **** themselves when they haven't... genius." He frantically shakes his hand. "I like this guy better than the other guy", says Fraud. "I take it you mean Icarus?" "In one." Dark Magician shakes his head. "Oh, poo poo. He's all right when you get to know him. But don't get him angry. He throws lightning bolts at you if you get him angry." "Noted", says Fraud, Dark Magician turns round, and sees Yu. "Eastern get up, long whooshy beard... Yu, Master of Disguise, correct?" Yu inclines his head. Dark Magician then grabs his hand furiously. "Oh please, turn into Blitzkrieg and do his accent?" Yu turns into Blitzkrieg and says "Like zis?" "Say 'crush those Titans'!" Yu turns back into himself. "I am not some comedy entertainer." "You're not as fun as I'd heard!" Dark Magician flies over to Null. "Joining the team, I see." "Currently" Null says. "Must be a bit difficult Mister Stevens, all these mutants around." "I have had considerable time trapped in my mind own body whilst Blitzkrieg forced me to make this army enhanced by my own chemicals, and then made me mutate myself. Simple association with this army and these persons here is easy in comparison." Yu looks to Kaan'Qsst. "This Dark Magician makes a good point. There are many mutants here. How do we know he won't just try and Nullify us?" "Because this is my operation, I am an alien, not a mutant, and we have no quarrel. I also believe that Mister Stevens wants to save his planet and does not trust the heroes to do it. Correct, Mister Stevens?" "Correct, Kaan'Qsst. Though I am not sure I approve of Fraud's enslaving of these men. They have already been shackled by Blitzkrieg, in doing so to them, we are no better than Blitzkrieg." Kaan'Qsst kneels down to Null, but due to his immense size, still looks him in the eye. "I agree. However, I need an army." He places down Dungeon Master's positronic brain into Null's hands. "And until you can repair this and duplicate it for me, this one will serve. It is not large enough to fight coming Kraan, but it will be to hold off the Titans whilst you work. After Glub and Caber left us, they will know we are gathered, and my intent." "I will need my equipment from Incredi-labs." "Fraud's militia has enough teleporters. It will be brought to you." Fraud looks to his teleport. "Nelson, gather the others, get it done. All the lab equipment from Incredilabs, here. And all the Surge and Nullifier whilst you are at it." "Yes, the chemicals will be neccesary for acquiring a larger army." "I won't stand for mutating and enslaving more of the populace", says Null. Kaan'Qsst holds up the robotic brain. "Replicate these, and we won't have to. We won't even need this army permanently, these men can soon have their freedom." "What good is a bunch of cybernetic brains without bodies?" "Precisely" says Kaan'Qsst. "Precisely." He grins. End of issue.